Ladder-foot.



A. W. BACHMAN.

LADDER FOOT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1915.

1,179,391. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

fig. l. Fig.2.

Elm 00.141701 X1 .Bemmw A pNrrED s'rAT s 1 EN OFFICE.

ALBERT w. BACHMAN, or ALTON, namnors.

LADDER-FOOT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT W. BACH- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alton, in the county of Madison, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Ladder-Foot; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to. certain new and useful improvements in ladder feet, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the stiles of a ladder may be lengthened or shortened in order to compensate for roughness or unevenness of the surface upon which it is desired to place the ladder, and whereby the ladder will be positively and effectively held in an upright position and prevented from sliding or falling when placed upon the most uneven surface.

Further objects of the invention areto rovide a device of the character described which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be applied to any conventional form of ladder, and which can be easily operated.

With these and other ob ects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as willmore fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of "the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a front elevation of a ladder of a conventional construction, showing a ladder foot constructed in accordance with the invention as applied to each of the stiles thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the lower end of one of the stiles of the ladder and the ladder foot applied thereto. Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4: of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are re- Specification of Letters Patent.

' ably Patented. Apr. 18, 1916,

Application filed November 9,1915. Serial No, 66,558.

ferred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing the letter A designates a ladder of a conventional construction, the said ladder comprising the usual stiles 1 and rungs 2. A ladder foot or extension constructed in accordance with the invention is shown as applied to the of the stiles 1 of the ladder, the said ladder foot consisting of'a guide plate 3 and an extension plate 4: slidlower end. of each mounted upon the said guide plate, the said sliding extension plate l serving as an extension leg for the purpose of varying the length of the stile ofthe ladder.

The ladder foot may be constructed of an suitable material, although in the presen instance it is shown as formed 0 pressed steel. The guide late 3 is shown as applied to the stile of the ladder by means of bolts 5, said bolts passing through the said guide plate at points adjacent to the edges thereof. The longitudinal edges of the guide plate 3 is shown as bent at 6 to form channels, said channels serving to form guidewaysto cooperate with the sliding extension plate to (guide the same in its sliding movements an to prevent it from being disengaged from the guide plate. The central longitudinal portion of the guide plate 3 is shown as pressed outwardly at 7 and spaced from the outside of the stile of the ladder and formed with a vertical row of alined openings 8 soas to effectively cooperate with a latch member carried by the sliding extension plate for the purpose of holding the said extension plate in an of the extension plate 4 are'left fiat as at 10 and are adapted to'be fitted within the guideways formed by the edges 6 of the guide plate 3. At the upper end of the extension plate 4: is provided a latch member ground engaging plate 20 11 which is pivotally mounted at 12 at an intermediate point in its length upon a bracket 13 secured to the extension plate 4. The upper end of the said latch member 11 is shown as provided with a laterally extending nose 14 which passes through an opening 15 in the extension plate 4 and is adapted to engage any selected one of the openings 8 in the guide plate 3 for the purpose of holding the extension plate 4 against movement relative to the guide plate 3, the said nose 14 passing entirely through the guide plate 3 and into the space between the central longitudinal portion thereof and the stile of the ladder so as to obtain a firm hold upon the guide plate 8. The lower end 16 of the latch member 11 serves as a handle for the purpose of removing the nose 14 of the latch from the openings 8 in the guide plate 3 when it is desired to change the position of the extension plate 4. A spring 17 engages the handle portion 16 of the latch and normally tends to hold the .nose of the latch in engagement with one of the openings 8 in the guide plate 3.

- The lower' end of the extension plate 4 is shown as provided with a ball 18 which is fitted within a socket 19 carried by a which serves as a foot for the ladder, the said ball and socket connection between the extension plate and the foot 20 allowing the said foot to assume any angle relative to the extension plate 4 so as to compensate for any unevenness or incline of the surface upon which the ladder 7 is placed. The underside of the said foot 20 is provided with spikes 21, the said spikes being adapted to penetrate the surface upon which the ladder is placed so as to obtain a firm grip thereon, thereby preventing slipping of the ladder.

When it is desired to use the ladderato which the invention is applied upon an uneven or incline surface thelatch member 11 is manipulated so as to remove the nose 14 thereof from the opening 8 in the guide plate 3 so as to allow the extension plate 4 to be moved relatively to the guide plate 3. The extension plate 4 is then moved so as to either lengthen or shorten the stile of the ladder as may be necessary to bring the ladder into a substantially upright position when the foot :20 engages the surface upon which the ladder is placed, whereupon the nose 14 of the latch member 11 is allowed to enter the nearest opening 8 in the guide plate 3 so as to hold the extension plate 4 in the adjusted position and against further movement. The ladder may be then set into the position desired and, owing to the ball and socket connection between the extension plate and the foot 20, the said foot 20 will accommodate itself to any unevenness in the surface upon which the ladder is placed, and

the spikes 21 upon the underside of the foot 20 will bite into the surface and obtain a firm grip thereon so as to positively and effectively prevent any slipping or falling of the ladder.

Having hus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A ladder foot, including a guide plate adapted to be secured to the stile of a ladder and spaced therefrom, said guide plate being provided with a plurality of openings, an extension plate slidably mounted upon said guide plate, and a latch member carried by said extension plate, said latch member being provided with a nose adapted to engage any selected one of the openings in the guide plate and extend entirely through said guide plate into the space between the guide plate and the stile of the ladder so as to obtain a firm engagement with the guide plate to hold the extension plate in an adjusted position.

2. A ladder foot, including a guide plate adapted to be secured to the stile of a ladder, the longitudinal edges of said guide plate being bent to form channels to serve as guide ways, an extension plate slidably mounted within the said channeled guideways and means for locking said extension plate in an adjustedposition.

3. A ladder foot,-including a guide plate adapted to be secured to the stile of a ladder, said guide plate having its central longitudinal portion pressed outwardly so as to be spaced from the stile of the ladder, said central longitudinal portion of the guide plate being provided with a plurality of openings arranged in alinement with each other, an extension plate slidably mounted upon the guide plate, and a latch carried by said extension plate, said latch member being provided with a nose adapted to engage any selected one of the openings in the guide plate and extend entirely through said guide plate and into the space between the central longitudinal portion thereof and the stile of the ladder so as to-obtain afirm engage ment with said guide plate to hold the extension plate in an adjusted position upon the guide plate.

4. A ladder foot, including a guide plate adapted to be applied to the stile of a ladder, the central longitudinal portion of said guide plate being pressed outwardly so as to be spaced from the stile of the ladder and being formed with a row of alined openings. and the longitudinal edges of said guide plate being bent to form channels to serve as guideways, an extension plate having its edges slidably mounted in said guideways, and a latch carried by said extension plate, said latch being provided with a nose adapted to enter any selected one of the openings in the guide plate and to pass entirely name to this specification in the presence of through1 said guide plate 1into the1 space betwo subscribing witnesses. Y tween tie 'ui e ate ant t 1e sti e so as to obtain a firm eiigagenient with the said ALBERT BACHMAN 5 guide plate to hold the extension plate in an WVitnesses:

adjusted position. CARL WELCH, In testimony whereof I have signed my S. B. KERR. 

